~ Immortality unveiled ~Tom Riddle x Reader 🐍🌶

Chapter 28~You..~

~Albus POV~

I gaze at the door long after Tom Riddle has stormed out, my mind swirling with concern and unease. The anger and frustration in his eyes were palpable, and it troubles me deeply. Tom's fixation on Eva Orlov is more than mere concern for a colleague; it's a dangerous obsession, one that threatens to consume him. He is already lost in the darkness, and any hint of humanity he might have had is buried under layers of ambition and malice. Her disappearance worsened him. It seems like she kept him sane, in a way. Now that she is gone.. Merlin knows what he will do.

Eva's disappearance has weighed heavily on my conscience for the past ten years. Gellert involvement makes the situation all the more complicated.  I am left to pick up the pieces, to find Eva and bring her back, not just for her sake, but for the sake of everyone.. 

A knock sounds at the door, interrupting my thoughts. "Enter," I call, straightening in my seat.

The door opens, and Minerva McGonagall steps inside, her expression one of concern.
"Albus, is everything all right? I saw Tom Riddle leaving in quite a state."

I offer her a reassuring smile, though the weight of the situation remains heavy on my shoulders. "Tom is... troubled. His ambition and desires cloud his judgment. We must remain vigilant, Minerva. The safety of Hogwarts and the wizarding world depends on it."

She nods, her eyes filled with determination. "What do you need me to do?"

"Keep a close watch on our students, especially those who show signs of extraordinary talent or ambition. We cannot afford to let them fall under someones influence."

Minerva's jaw tightens, and she nods again. "I'll do whatever it takes, Albus."

"Thank you, Minerva. Your dedication is invaluable."

~1980~

A war rages since ten years. Soon after my last meeting with Tom Riddle, Death Eaters started to attack muggle born wizards and witches. 
No one dares to say his name,.. Lord Voldemort he calls himself now.. People call him, he who must not be named.. you know who..
 
Tom. A ghost of the past. The ambitious boy.
I do my best to keep the children save. 
To keep the Order members save. 
The war seems lost, Minister Leach has disappeared in 1968, replaced by Eugenia Jenkins. A secret follower of Tom. No one is allowed to say anything against the regime.
Those who do .. disappear.

I failed once again to stop Tom's abyss. Our downfall. I did not think Gellert would intervene with any of this, he didn't do this in any other timeline..

Now, my only chance is to find Eva, maybe she can still stop this madness. 

As I sit down at my desk, I review the myriad of clues and reports gathered over the years.
None of them have led me to Eva, but I refuse to give up hope. Gellert's magic is powerful and old, but there must be a way to break through his defenses. The memory of our duel years ago flickers in my mind, a reminder of the power he wields and the dangers that lie ahead. How could it come this far.

I take a deep breath and begin writing letters to various contacts across the wizarding world. Old friends, allies, even those who have opposed me in the past—I reach out to them all, seeking any information that might lead me to Eva. I cannot do this alone. The stakes are too high, and the darkness too overwhelming.

I'm sealing the letters with wax and sending them off with a wave of my wand. Each one is a plea for help, a call to arms against the encroaching darkness. Time is of the essence, and every moment brings us closer to a confrontation that could decide the fate of our world.

"Fawkes," I call softly, and my loyal phoenix perches beside me, his warm, golden eyes providing a moment of solace.

"We must find her, my friend," I murmur, stroking his feathers. "Time is running out.."